There was a global impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) including bereavement, isolation, loss of income, and fear that triggered existing mental health conditions and exacerbating the existing ones. Isoprostanes are the potential biomarkers of endogenous human metabolism and proven clinically to provide the quantitative measure of systematic oxidative injury. A UPLC-MS/MS method capable of determining four biomarkers of oxidative stress (8-iso-PGF2α, 2,3-dinor-iPF2α-III, PGE2, and 5-iPF2α-VI) in wastewater was developed and validated. In raw wastewater collected from two communities in western Kentucky and Tennessee, isoprostanes were measured (31.1 to 1270 ng/L) during the first four months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The average mass loads of PGE2 and 5-iPF2α-VI in a community were significantly increased (two-tailed <i>p</i> &lt;0.001) from the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic to the second month; however, significantly decreased (two-tailed <i>p</i> &lt;0.001) in the third month. This is the first report of the quantification of PGE2 and 5-iPF2α-VI in wastewater and estimation of the community level oxidative anxiety based on the biomarkers of oxidative stress in wastewater.  Wastewater-based-epidemiological determination of isoprostanes can be a near-real-time and cost-effective approach of a trend in community depression.

Elevated community anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic based on the quantified biomarkers of oxidative stress in wastewater

ACS Fall 2021

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